Every so often, you get an opportunity that makes you wonder: Did I bite off more than I can chew? Am I capable of delivering?

A life coach I met many years ago named Gloria shared her personal journey with me: she had quit a lucrative corporate job to start her own company. Deciding to master a challenge in her personal life gave her the confidence that she would be successful in her professional endeavors.

I moved to the Philippines in 2016 to set up our offshore capabilities. In my first month, I was faced with a series of challenges. But, I remembered Gloria’s advice. I, too, decided to take on a personal challenge. So, I signed up for a mini triathlon. I hadn’t run in months and I hadn’t biked in years. But, there was a far bigger catch: I didn’t know how to swim! In fact, I had tried to learn swimming a few times in my life but never quite succeeded. I’m not sure how I thought I would prepare myself in the two short months I had.

I convinced several team members to sign up as well, given that we were all facing the same daunting journey at work! Soon my friends and neighbors heard about what I had done. Someone found me a swimming coach par excellence. Another loaned me a bike to practice on. Yet another offered to go for morning runs together! Thanks to my team at home, I managed to learn enough to swim in the triathlon as well as complete the biking and running segments. And, thanks to my team at work, we built a successful Consulting practice in Manila.

The moral of the story for me is — whether personal or work related – it’s very important to trust yourself to rise to the challenge. And, don’t be afraid to share your journey openly with others. So many times, we fear failure, so we keep our goals to ourselves. Without open communication, we have no idea how many people are willing to help us succeed. Vulnerability can be a very powerful asset.

This isn’t the first time I’ve done something like this, and it won’t be the last. Stay tuned for a couple more stories, including some learnings from another great coach.